#Herne oak

[maypoleman1]

29th January

Herne the Hunter

Source: Herne the Hunter on Craiyon

On this day in 1906, the ancient tree, Herne’s Oak was replanted in Windsor Park, Berkshire. According to legend, Herne was a skilled hunter who saved the life of King Henry VIII by placing himself between the monarch and a charging stag. Herne was made Henry’s chief huntsman as a reward, but jealous gossip ultimately led to the hero’s dismissal from the king’s service. A distraught Herne then killed himself. But his story did not end there. In death, Herne transformed in a giant stag-masked hunting god, and has haunted the woods of Windsor Park ever since, leading phantom hounds in a never-ending pursuit of spectral stags. Herne was believed to be real enough, appearing in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor to terrify a drink-addled Falstaff. The unwary are advised to flee at the sight of Herne, whose bow has been known to seek human victims as well as the creatures of the forest.

Herne is almost certainly a Tudor memory of the Celtic god of the Underworld, the winter deity, stag-headed Cernunnos. The god’s manifestation, like that of Herne, is best avoided by mortals.

[mysterious-secret-garden]

George Cruikshank - Hernes oak from 'The merry wives of Windsor', V, 1857.

[the-nettle-knight]

Saltburn makes me wanna throw up. Not because it's perverted (it's not really, it's just got a little cinnamon). No it's got so much symbolism and folklore in that it makes me wanna vibrate out of my skin and I'm not even a folkorist

[travsd]

James A. Herne: "The American Ibsen"

Time was, all American theatre-goers knew the name of James A. Herne (James Ahearn, 1839-1901), not just a few scholars. Herne ranks with figures like Dion Boucicault and Steele MacKaye in the ranks of America’s top pre-O’Neill playwrights. After O’Neill, theatre people tended to sneer at these earlier figures but in recent decades their reputations have been partially restored if only for the…

[greenwitchcrafts]

October 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: October 2nd

First Quarter: October 10th

Full moon: October 17th

Last Quarter: October 24th

Sabbats: Samhain- October 31st-November 1st

October Hunter's Moon

Also known as: Blood Moon, Drying Rice Moon, Falling leaf Moon, Freezing Moon, Harvest Moon, Migration Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, Sanguine Moon,, Shedding Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Winterfelleth & Windermanoth

Element: Air

Zodiac: Libra & Scorpio

Nature spirts: Frost Faeries & Plant Faeries

Deities: Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Lakshmi & Mercury

Animals: Elephant, jackal, ram, scorpion & stag

Birds: Crow, heron & robin

Trees: Acacia,apple, cypress & yew

Herbs: Angelica, burdock, catnip, pennyroyal, sweet Annie, thyme & uva ursi

Flowers: Apple blossom, calendula, cosmos & marigold

Scents: Apple blossom, cherry & strawberry

Stones: Amethyst, beryl, cat's eye, chrysoberyl, citrine, obsidian, opal, sapphire, tourmaline & turquoise

Colors: Black, blue, dark blue, blue-green & purple

Issues, intentions & powers: Cooperation, darkness, divination, healing & hope

Energy: Artistic works, creativity, harmony, inner cleansing, justice, karma, legal matters, mental stimulation, partnerships, reincarnation & uncovering mysteries or secrets

The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox date (September 22, 2024). This means that either September or October’s full Moon may take on the name “Harvest Moon” instead of its traditional name. Similarly, the Hunter’s Moon is the first full Moon to follow the Harvest Moon, meaning it can occur in either October or November.

The Harvest Moon & the Hunter’s Moon are unique in that they are not directly related to this folklore or restricted to a single month. Instead, they are tied to an astronomical event: the autumnal equinox!

• October’s full Hunter Moon orbits closer to Earth than any of the other full Moons this year, making one of the four supermoons of 2024!  As the Moon drifts over the horizon around sunset, it may appear larger & more orange—how perfect for the fall season!

It is believed that this name originates from the fact that it was a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming cold winter by going hunting. This is because animals were beginning to fatten up in preparation for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer & other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes & wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

Samhain

Known as: Ancestor's night, Feast of Apples, Feast of Sam-fuim, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, Geimhreadh, Hallowmass, Martinmass, Old Hallowmass, Pagan New Year, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios & Shadowfest

Season: Autumn

Element: Water

Symbols: Apples, bats, besom, black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, scarecrows & witches

Colors: Black, gold, orange, silver & white

Oils/Incense: Basil, cloves, copal, frankincense, gum mastic, heather, heliotrope, mint, myrrh & nutmeg

Animals: Bat, bear, boar, cat, cattle & dog

Stones: Amber, anatase, black calcite, black obsidian, black tourmaline, bras, carnelian, clear quartz, diamond, garnet, gold, granite, hematite, iron, jet, marble, onyx, pearl, pyrite, ruby, sandstone, sardonyx, smokey quartz, steel & tektite

Food: Apples, ale, beef, cider, corn, nuts, fruit, garlic, gourds, grains, hazelnuts, herbal teas, mushroom, nettle, nuts, pears, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin pie, sunflower seeds, thistle, turnips & wine (mulled)

Herbs/Plants: Acorn, allspice, angelica, besom, catnip, corn, deadly nightshades, dittany of Crete, fumitory, garlic, mandrake, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, patchouli, reed, rosemary, rue, sage, straw, tarragon, thistle & wormwood

Flowers:  Calendula, chrysanthemum & heather

Trees: Apple, beech, buckthorn, hazel, pine, locust, pomegranate, willow, witch hazel, yellow cedar & yew

Magical: Faeries

Goddesses: Al-Lat, Baba Yaga, Badb, Bast, Bebhionn, Bronach, Brunhilde, Cailleach, Carlin, Cassandra, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Crobh Dearg, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Erishkigal, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Hecate, Hel, Mania, The Morrigan, Nemisis & Nicneven

Gods: Arawn, Baron Samede, Chronus,The Dagda, Dis, Hades, Nefertum, Osiris, Pluto, Woden & Xocatl

Spellwork: Divination, fire magick, night magick, shape-shifting, spirit calling & water magick

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Crossroads, darkness, death, divination, honor, introspection, otherworldly/underworld, release, visions & wisdom

Activities:

•Dedicate an altar to loved ones who have passed

• Boil a simmer pot to cleanse your space

• Have a silent dinner

• Light a candle for your loved ones & yourself

• Decorate your house and/or altar

• Release negative energy & cleanse yourself with a ritual bath

• Pull tarot cards to see what may be in store for you ahead

• Cleanse, clean & de-clutter your space

• Host or attend a bonfire

• Leave offerings for the Sídhe

• Journal & reflect on your accomplishments, challenges & everything you did this year

•Go on a nature walk

• Learn a new form of divination

• Have a bonfire with your friends and/or family

• Carve pumpkins, turnips or apples

• Express yourself creatively through art, music, ect

• Visit a cemetery & help clean off areas that need it or to visit a family member/ ancestor & leave an offering

• Hold a seance

• Bake spooky treats & bread as offerings

• Refresh your protection magicks, sigils & rituals

Samhain is about halfway between the autumnal equinox & winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltane, & Lughnasa. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, & the Isle of Man. 

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins &  some Neolithic passage tombs in Great Britain & Ireland are aligned with the sunrise at the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature, from the 9th century & is associated with many important events in Irish mythology.

The early literature says great gatherings & feasts marked Samhain when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires & sacrifices.

• According to Irish mythology, Samhain (like Beltane) was a time when the 'doorways' to the Otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to come into our world; while Beltane was a summer festival for the living, Samhain "was essentially a festival for the dead".

•The festival was not recorded in detail until the early modern era. It was when cattle were brought down from the summer pastures & livestock were slaughtered. Special bonfires were lit, which were deemed to have protective & cleansing powers.

At Samhain, the aos sí were appeased with offerings of food & drink to ensure the people & livestock survived the winter. The souls of dead kin were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality & a place was set at the table for them during a meal. Divination was also a big part of the festival & often involved nuts & apples.

Mumming & guising were part of the festival from at least the early modern era, whereby people went door-to-door in costume, reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating & disguising oneself from the aos sí. 

• In the late 19th century, John Rhys and James Frazer suggested it had been the "Celtic New Year", but that is disputed.

Some believe it is the time of The Goddess' mourning the death of The God until his rebirth at Yule. The Goddess' sadness can be seen in the shortening, darkening days & the arrival or cold weather.

Related festivals:

• Halloween( October 31st)-

In popular culture, the day has become a celebration of horror, being associated with the macabre and supernatural.

•One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots. Some go further & suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with its eve, by the early Church. Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow's Day.

Popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising & ghouling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, & watching horror or Halloween-themed films

• Day of the Dead(November 1st-2nd)-

 el Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos

The multi-day holiday involves family & friends gathering to pay respects & to remember friends & family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember amusing events & anecdotes about the departed. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage.

•The observance falls during the Christian period of Allhallowtide.

Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras & marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods & beverages of the departed & visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased.

 The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, to share traditional pan de muerto with family & friends, & to write light-hearted & often irreverent verses in the form of mock epitaphs dedicated to living friends & acquaintances, a literary form known as calaveras literarias.

 Some argue that there are Indigenous Mexican or ancient Aztec influences that account for the custom & it has become a way to remember those forebears of Mexican culture.

• All Saint's Day(November 1st)- 

Also known as All Hallows' Day or the Feast of All Saints is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[astra-ravana]

Working With Cernunnos

The Horned God

Other names: The Green Man, Pan, Puck, Herne the Hunter

Colors: Green, red, black, brown

Herbs: Oak, ivy, mistletoe, basil, juniper, grains, mushrooms, mandrake, pine, fern, cedar, patchouli, cinnamon, sage, thyme, dill, amber, clover, thistle, basil, mugwort, wormwood, sandalwood

Crystals: Malachite, lodestone, diopside, indigo gabbro, bloodstone, quantum quatro, demantoid garnet, moss agate, black quartz, tiger's eye, serpentine, unakite, rutilated quartz, moldavite, peridot

Element: Earth

Planet: Jupiter

Zodiac: Taurus, Aries, Capricorn

Metal: Lead, iron

Tarot: The Lovers, the Devil, the World

Animals: Stags, rams, horned snakes, dogs/wolves, bulls, boars, rats

Domains: The forests and wilds, animals, nature, fertility, travels, the hunt, abundance, healing, manifestation, sexuality, natural energy (prana), virility, strength, primal instincts

Offerings: Wine, water, milk, antler sheds, leaves, soil, incense, plants, acts of sexuality, primal drumming, music, entering an otherworldly state or trance, communing with nature, crystals, bones, blood, stones

Symbols: Horns, torc, cauldron, moons

[esoteric-chaos]

Beltane Masterpost - Spoonie Witch Friendly

Beltane, also called Bealtaine or May Day is celebrated on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere (November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). However, some people choose to celebrate the exact halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.

Beltane is a Gaelic May Day festival. It is traditionally celebrated once the sun sets on April 30th in the Northern Hemisphere (October 31st in the Southern Hemisphere) and continues on until sunset on May 1st.

With Beltane we celebrate fire, fertility and the return of life after its long slumber. Beltane is associated with creativity, prosperity, hope, fertility, and sexuality.

Beltane Correspondences

Colours

Green

Light Blue

Yellow

Purple

Pink

White

Brown

Herbal

Mint

Lemon Balm

Willow

Birch

Snapdragons

Roses

Lilacs

Violets

Daffodils

Daisies

Ivy

Lily of the Valley

Foxglove

Mugwort

and many more

Edibles

Honey

Wine

Lemonade

Strawberries

Spring Greens

Cherries

Dairy Products

Animals

Rabbits

Cows

Sheep

Bees

Robins

Hawks

Frogs

Doves

Crystals, Metals and Minerals

Rose Quartz

Jade

Aventurine

Garnet

Emerald

Tourmaline

Gold

Copper

Symbols

Flowers

Maypole

Fire

Handfasting

Sex

Floral crowns

Seeds

Fae

Wreaths

Ribbons

Spiritual Meanings

Prosperity

Fertility

Self-improvement

Marriage

Cleansing

Love

Lust

Sexuality

Manifestation

Strength

Protection

Scents

Mint

Lemon

Vanilla

Jasmine

Rose

Lilac

Floral

Gods / Goddesses / Spirits

May Queen – (Celtic)

Artemis – (Greek)

Flora - (Roman)

Hera - (Greek)

Persephone - (Greek) UPG

Aphrodite – (Greek)

Diana - (Roman)

Venus (Roman)

Freya - (Norse)

Bast - (Egyptian)

Asmodeus - (Demon) UPG

Herne/ Horned god

Faunus/ Pan – (Greek)

Priapus – (Greek)

Apollon - (Greek)

Apollo - (Roman)

Cernunnos – (Celtic)

Odin – (Norse)

The Green Man

Bacchus - (Greek)

Bes (Egyptian)

Bel – (Celtic)

Oak King - (Pagan)

Need some suggestions to celebrate? I've got you covered.

High-energy celebrations and ritual

Handfasting ceremony (pagan marriage ritual)

Protection ritual

Reworking wards

Sex magic

Bondfire

Divination

Fae offerings

Garden

Low energy celebrations

Growth tarot spread

Creation of flower crowns or garlands

Lighting candles or a fireplace

Microwave mug recipes

No energy celebrations

Rest

Using a sun lamp to bask in

Practicing self-love

Drink flora tea with honey

How you celebrate the holiday does not matter. You can choose to do any activity that feels right. These are only suggestions and remember that you're enough no matter what.

Also, please note some stuff is UPG. A great book is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden, which honours the celebrations and if you want to work more seasonally. It's not Wiccan-based and has plenty of resources for every witch.

Feel free to post how you celebrate in the comments or reblogs!

Want to see more of my posts? Check out my Wheel of the Year Masterpost or my Main Masterpost.

Sources:

[usafphantom2]

Bob Pardo, Vietnam War pilot famous for Pardo’s Push maneuver, dies at 89

Jonathan Snyder

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo is known for carrying out an unorthodox aviation maneuver, later coined the Pardo Push, to save the lives of his wingmen during a bombing mission over Vietnam on March 10, 1967.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo is known for carrying out an unorthodox aviation maneuver, later coined the Pardo Push, to save the lives of his wingmen during a bombing mission over Vietnam on March 10, 1967. (David Cooper/U.S. Air Force)

Bob Pardo, who left his mark in Air Force history for using an unorthodox maneuver, Pardo’s Push, to save his wingmen’s lives during a bombing mission over Vietnam, died Dec. 5. He was 89.

On March 10, 1967, Pardo and weapons officer 1st Lt. Steve Wayne were on a bombing run on an enemy steel mill north of Hanoi in an F-4C Phantom, flying alongside Capt. Earl Aman and 1st Lt. Robert Houghton.

The target — North Vietnam’s only steel mill dedicated to war materiel — was heavily guarded by anti-aircraft guns and artillery.

During the mission, ground fire damaged both Pardo’s and Aman’s Phantoms, causing both to lose fuel. However, Aman lost too much to return safely to base, and Pardo knew he had to act quickly, according to a 2007 recounting of the mission by Gen. T. Michael Mosely, then the chief of staff of the Air Force.

“I knew if I didn’t do anything, they would have to eject over North Vietnam into enemy territory, and that would have resulted in their capture for sure,” Pardo said in a 2015 interview for the Air Force Veterans in Blue program. “At that time, if you were captured by civilians, you were probably going to be murdered on the spot.”

Pardo decided to push Aman’s plane using the nose of his aircraft against Aman’s tailhook, a retractable hook on the underside of the plane used for arrested landings.

He managed to decrease the rate of descent of Aman’s jet by 1,500 feet per minute, and they successfully reached friendly territory. Both air crews safely ejected over the Laotian border and were rescued by friendly forces.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Pardo died Dec. 5 at 89. (David Cooper/U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force at first reprimanded Pardo for further damaging his aircraft. Twenty years later, he received the Silver Star for his actions in the aerial rescue.

Pardo was born in 1934 in Herne, Texas, and began his Air Force career in 1954 at age 19. After flight school, he flew the Phantom during the Vietnam War, logging 132 flying missions.

He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1974. In addition to the Silver Star, his awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal with twelve Oak Leaf Clusters and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Pardo is survived by his wife, Kathryn, whom he married on March 7, 1992, five children and 10 grandchildren.

@AviationHistGal via X

[santoschristos]

“Hail the Horned God,

Ancient guardian of the wood,

Keeper of all things wild and free,

Ye shall dance, and I shall sing,

Hunter, knower, seeker upon thy quest,

He who stands in the darkness,

He who trembles not and never,

Lord of now and forever,

Lord of life, lord of death,

Lord of feasts, lord of beasts

We, we evoke thee!”

Cernunnos

Cernunnos is the Celtic god of life, fertility, wealth, animals, and the underworld.

“At the Sacred Centre, in the Grove of all Worlds, He sits with legs crossed beneath an ancient Oak. Entranced, connecting the three worlds Earth, Sea, and Sky, and the worlds behind the worlds, the god and the Great Tree are One, His immense limbs widespread, stretching into distant sky and starry space.”

Cernunnos is considered to be one of the oldest gods in Celtic origins. It is believed that he was around even when dinosaurs were around. When humans came around Cernunnos became even more relevant as he began to be painted and carved into caves abroad.

Cernunnos is the son of Anu. Cernunnos was brought to complete the circle of life.

Appearance:

Cernunnos is depicted as being half human while wearing an antler crown. Cernunnos is the leader of hunt and harvest rules. Not only does Cernunnos have a deep connection with animals; Cernunnos is considered to be ‘The Guardian of The Green World’ and is one with the trees. His branching antlers symbolize the tops of trees spreading wide. Wisdom of Cernunnos consists of “the old must pass away to make way for the new”. Along with this Cernunnos is also a god of The Underworld, he comforts and sings to the dead souls to their rest. Cernunnos also pursues the souls of evil beings. Another form of Cernunnos is known as Pan. Pan is a proud celebration and has quite the sexual energy. Pan is not associated with human interest or violence, rather the life and death of The Natural World. If this domain is threatened, you are subject to fear or panic being induced upon you.

Interesting fact about Cernunnos is that he was mentioned by William Shakespeare himself as Herne the Hunter, the demon and guardian of Windsor Forest, the Royal Wood.

Chant of Cernunnos:

Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os

Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One

Join Us Now

Cer-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os

Greenwood Lord of Life and Death

Join Us Now

Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os

Herne and Pan and Every Man

Join Us Now

art: Canopy by Hysmenia

[scotianostra]

Happy 82nd birthday to Willie Carson, born in Stirling, 1942.

Carson became the first Scot to be crowned champion jockey when taking the title in 1972, he went on to win it in 73, 78, 80 and 83 and is still the only Scottish born Jockey to win it.

Willie’s father was a Fyffes banana packer called Tommy and his mother was a waitress named May. Racing was not in his background at all. There were no horses in the family, as a teenager Carson started taking riding lessons at a stable in Dunblane. He says that “The horses kept kicking and biting me! They’re funny animals and it took me years to understand them.”

Willie served his apprenticeship with trainer Gerald Armstrong in Yorkshire between 1958 and 1962. In his first race, on May 18, 1959, he came fifth at Redcar on Marija. His first win was on Pinker’s Pond at Catterick on July 19, 1962. His career really took off when he received his first retainer from Lord Derby from 1967 until 1975, although his most successful partnership was with Major Dick Hern, trainer of the Queen’s horses at West Ilsley.

During his racing career Willie Carson was champion jockey five times and won 17 “Classics” . At just five feet tall and riding at an easily maintained weight of 7 stone 10 pounds (49 kg) Carson was much in demand as a jockey up to his retirement in 1996 at the age of 54. He had a total of 3,828 wins making him the fourth most successful jockey in Britain, and easily Scotland’s most successful rider.

Since his retirement he has became a TV star and a top breeder. Now 75, he lives in Gloucestershire with Elaine, his wife of 34 years, and has three children by his first wife, Carol.

In an interview a couple of years ago he said “I’d like to live healthily for as long as I can, and I’d like to be remembered as a hard-worker who did his best.”

The pic of Willie on horseback is him winning a race, the horse also has a Scottish connection, the thoroughbred was called Dunfermline. She won two classics, The Oaks against other fillies in June and in September St. Leger, the horse was owned by Queen Elizabeth.

Willie is the fourth of all-time champion flat jockeys behind Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery

[talonabraxas]

The Oak King and the Holly King Talon Abraxas

The Wiccan God is the Lord of the Greenwood, consort to the Lady of the Greenwood. Known also as Cernunnos, the Green Man, Herne the Hunter, and Lord of the Wild Hunt, he is a god of fertility, growth, death, and rebirth.

Two God-themes figure predominantly in Wiccan Sabbats: the Sun-God theme and that of the Holly King and Oak King.

The Sun-God rules the seasons. At Yule, he is the new babe, the emodiment of innocence and joy. He represents the infancy of the returning light. At Imolg, his growth is celebrated, as the days are growing longer and light stronger. At Ostara, he is a green, flourishing youth whose eye is taken by the Maiden Goddess. On Beltane, he is the young man in love who takes the Goddess as his bride. Their consummated marriage is celebrated with maypoles and bonfires. At Midsummer, he comsummates his marriage in a union so complete that it becomes a death. He is mourned at Lammas, and at Mabon, he sleeps in the womb of the Goddess. At Samhain, he waits in the Shining Land to be reborn.

The symbolism of the Horned God is also played out the theme of the Holly King and Oak King. The Horned God is the Holly King and the Oak King, two twin gods seen as one complete entity. Each of the twin gods rule for half of a year, fights for the favor of the Goddess, and dies. But the defeated twin is not truly dead, he merely withdraws for six months, some say to Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the ever-turning Silver Wheel, which is also known as the Wheel of the Stars. This is the enchanted realm of the Goddess Arianrhod where the god must wait and learn before being born again. Arianrhod means "silver wheel" and the castle is the Aurora Borealis. She is the goddess of the astral skies and there she rules as goddess of reincarnation.

The golden Oak King, who is the light twin, rules from midwinter to midsummer. The darksome Holly King rules the dark half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter.

[elmfae]

🌿🦌 Mythical Monday Spotlight 🦌🌿

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

🌟 On this April Fools, lets explore Cernunnos, the Horned God of Celtic lore! 🌿✨

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

🦌 The Lord of the Forest: Cernunnos symbolizes the untamed wilderness and cycles of life. 🍃🌙

Cernunnos’ Domain: the forest, animals, nature, fertility, travels, the hunt, abundance, healing, sexuality, virility, and primal instincts

Sacred place: forests and fields (all wild, un-spoiled places)

Divine Masculine and Fertility: He embodies nature's creative force and abundance.

Sacred Animals: stag, ram, (horned) snake, bull, dog, and rat

Keeper of Mysteries: Cernunnos guides us into the spiritual realm. 🌌

Spiritual Allies or Aliases: The Green Man, Pan, Puck, Herne the Hunter

💫 Embrace Cernunnos' Energy: Connect with nature, honor cycles, and meditate with him.

Elements: Earth

Symbols: Cauldron, torc

Sacred plant: Oak, Ivy, Mistletoe, Juniper, Grains

Offerings: wine, water, milk; antler sheds, leaves, soil, his sacred plants; acts of sexuality, primal drumming music, entering an otherworldly state or trance

~Fae

[silverthornwitchery]

My Experiences With The Horned God

Ok goes without saying but this is my own experience, my upg. Whether or not things are historically accurate is NOT my concern with this post. I am simply documenting my experiences. I am also NOT a reconstructionist, I am an Eclectic Neo-pagan that draws inspiration from NUMEROUS sources.

In my experiences Worshipping The Horned One and The Goddess, they're definetly like, the Primary Godheads/Energy Archetypes of the universe/nature.

My experiences with the Horned One aligns pretty well with Feri tradition, albeit he's a bit more Faceted for me.

I Experience Him as The Lightbringer, The Lord of the Forest, and The Royal Darkness/The Arddu. I'll go into Detail Below:

The Lightbringer - The Solar and Illuminating aspect of the Horned God. This form of him is the divine rebel, and very much into embracing the joys of life and pleasure. I Break the Lightbringer down into two more facets: The Blue God, and The Solar God. Both are relatively similar but to me the Blue God (this name stems from Feri) is the more esoteric and taboo aspects of light, and The Solar God is the more nature based and wild aspects of the sun itself.

The Names I use currently for these are Oberon for the Blue God, and in the past for the Solar God I've called upon Apollo and his various celtic forms, but I can't seem to find a name that sticks. I've also used Lucifer for the Lightbringer as a whole, but I'm trying to frame this side of my practice in English and Celtic folklore specifically for sake of ease. I am including things like Shakespeare, Arthurian Legends, and so on in this.

The Lord Of The Forest - This tends to be the popularized form of the Horned God. Fertility, Nature, Animals, Magic, the Cycle of Life and Death. He is blending of both the LightBringer, and The Arddu. The Lord of the Forest is a seasonal God. With the Oak King being his Spring and Summer forms, and the Holly King being his cthonic Fall and Winter forms, but name wise, I use three.

Cocidius/Callirius being the more human form of this God. Mostly human aside from ears and antlers or horns.

Herne is the Median between human and Animal, primal yet civilized, he is at least to me, 50/50 in terms of man and beast, but can shift between either pending what you are doing. The way he manifests to me and his energy feels is basically Hircine from TES, and I have worked with him under that name in the past.

Cernunnos to me is the Animal aspect of him. He speaks through nature itself, and is the large stag in the woods. He is cthonic, he is liminal, he is primal. He is the green forest itself in the warm seasons, and the dead and rebirthing forest in the cold. Cernunnos is the masculine embodiment of nature itself.

The Arddu - The Dark/Shadow aspect of the Horned God. He is the master of the Witches Sabbath, the embodiment of death, decay, and the shadow. Since he is death he is also rebirth and transformation. He is not malevolent, actually quite the opposite, but he is not opposed to destroying things to rebuild them, nor is he opposed to baneful workings in any ways. The Arddu as I understand him, often appears as a humanoid black goat or Stag with a candle lit between his horns. Sometimes his head is a skull, sometimes it is not. Sometimes he is more human in appearance. Regardless, The Arddu fulfills the role of "folk devil" in my own practice, though I've moved away from calling him that, as Arddu, meaning Dark One, feels more natural to me. Though I am not against, and actually quite enjoy the reclamation of the word Devil.

The Arddu comes to me in two colors, Black and White.

Black is the color of the fertile soil, which is made that way through decay. Black is the color of the shadow, the subconscious, and the taboo. That which we as people are taught to fear, but once embraced gives us immense power. In this form he's been coming to me as Arawn, but also in the past has come to me as Sathanas and the archetypal Sabbatic Goat. He dons the skull of either a Stag, Ram, Wolf, or Goat, or has those skulls for his actual face.

White is the color often associated with the otherworld, and the Wild Hunt. The White Arddu is the Light Betwixt the Horns and the winter snows. He is faery king in essence. To me he manifests in a more humanoid form, and is very fae-like. He is a trickster, a teacher, and a phantom.. to me he appears as Gwyn Ap Nudd, and I understand Gwyn and Arawn to be two sides of the same coin in my path.

[shousetsubangbang]

by Kit Miller

It was a truly magnificent fox. Its fur was silken and shone even in the fading twilight. Its ears, the backs of them night black, were pricked as it listened out for the faintest rustle of mice, ready, any moment, to pounce. Reinhardt breathed in, and let the arrow fly. The fox yelped as it bored into its flank. It worried at the shaft, but moments later, it went limp. A quick and clean kill. Reinhardt hefted his bow and went to the fox. His back cracked and creaked when he bent over to pick it up. He wasn’t fifty quite yet, but the years had not been kind to him. His face was furrowed like the bark of an oak. His hair, in his youth as red as this very fox’s fur, had faded with time to a dull ochre with only a hint of a rusty tinge left in it. 

The bow over one shoulder, the fox over the other, and the arrow removed, cleaned, and returned to the quiver at his hip, Reinhardt started back towards home. The new moon was a hole in the fabric of the darkening night sky. It was getting harder to see with every passing moment. Reinhardt swallowed against the rising tide of his panic. Today’s prowl had taken him further into the woods than he had wanted to go, and in more time than he could spare. The days when he could run for miles without pause were long behind him. His mind conjured up monsters and demons, turning gnarled branches into snarling dragons. Any snag on his clothes set his heart into a frantic, stumbling gallop, and for a moment, he would be convinced it was hands grabbing him and holding him and dragging him off to Hell. 

He tripped over a root. The arrows in his quiver rattled and the fox slipped; he could catch it just in time before it fell off. For a moment, Reinhardt had to stand still, just holding onto the fox with one hand and his bow with the other. This wasn’t working. He knelt down and laid the fox on the ground for now. With trembling fingers, he reached for the lantern he always carried on his belt in spite of how awkward it was to have on a hunt. He cursed when he opened his tinderbox and realised he only had a couple of splints left, and very little tinder. This was just enough to light the lantern; if it were to go out and he needed to light it again, it was going to be almost impossible. Regardless, he lit his lantern. He’d have to be careful not to let it go out. He lifted it high, as high as he could, the other arm clutching the fox, back on his shoulder. The trees surrounding him twitched in the flickering light. He imagined he saw horses burst forth between them.

It had been tonight, thirty-one years ago to the day, that Herne had been caught and taken from Reinhardt forever. All Herne had left behind was a cold, hard nugget in Reinhardt’s heart, a nugget of fear, and grief, and regret, and guilt. Nobody had ever forgiven him that of the two hunters that had gone into the woods that night, only Reinhardt had come out. Least of all himself. Herne had always been the better hunter, and the village mourned his loss to this day. They cursed Reinhardt for a coward. He’d tried to explain what had happened, but not a one had believed him. Slowly, over the decades, he had started to disbelieve himself. It was only rarely, now, that he held the truth in his hands, looked at it, and didn’t doubt it.

-

Read the rest of this story and other tales of sexy queer romance in the full issue at Shousetsu Bang*Bang Issue 111: Hauntology

[kittypets-unite-au]

Kittypets Unite: Herbs

KU: Herbs

Fun fact, most of the herbs used in warriors actually kill cats! So I decided to come up with my own list by researching herbs that are good for kitties

Also, quite a few of these herbs are taken from @bonefall 's herb guide, so thanks man!

Starflower (Fantasy herb)

Uses: The Starflower is used as a strong painkiller and, when chewed up and placed on wounds, helps the healing process. It also helps bring down fevers if mixed with Dill and water, and is a powerful greencough cure if mixed with catnip

Appearance: A five pointed, yellow flower with long sepals. They grow in a clustered bush with minty-green stems

Milk Weed (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Milk Weed leaves are used to help queens produce milk and soothe bleeding

Appearance: A tall, dark green stem with spade-shaped, thick leaves that secrete a white liquid

Chicadia Roots (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, usually for trans toms or masc nonbinary cats

Appearance: Reddish brown, flaky bark with a sharp, musky scent. When mixed with Sosper, it causes a cat to smell like a tom

Mollywood (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, usually for trans mollies or femme nonbinary cats

Appearance: A tall, woody plant with a sweet yet earthy scent. When mixed with Sosper, it causes a cat to smell like a molly

Sosper (Fantasy herb)

Uses: Is one of the ingredients used to mask a cat’s scent, is used to mask a cat’s original scent and helps the other herb last longer

Appearance: Small, box-like bushes with thin, jagged leaves and large yellow blooms, smells very strongly of mint and dill

Rain Clove (Fantasy Herb)

Uses: Helps prevent hypothermia, also helps with whitecough and running noses

Appearance: Tall green stem with large, cornflower blue flowers with three petals. They grow in tight clusters

Sweet Ribwort (Fantasy Herb)

Uses: Bulbs help treat distemper, leaves can be ground into a rub to soothe aching joints, sores, and irritation

Appearance: Tall, thin green stems with large white bulbs and large jagged leaves

Gutskentch (Fantasy Hern)

Uses: Treats worms, parasites, and diarrhea

Appearances: Tall, serrated leaves with blood red stalks

Thyme

Uses: Helps reduce shock and calm panic attacks

Appearance: Long, thin stems with small, oval shaped, slightly furled pale green leaves

Cat Grass

Uses: Cat Grass is used to help cats cough up hairballs and make cats vomit if they ate something poisonous

Appearance: Thick, green on the top and white on the bottom grass with a rounded point of a tip

Catnip

Uses: Catnip is used to give cats energy to fight off illness. It’s especially useful for greencough when mixed with Starflower. It’s also a good idea to mix it with Valerian to give the cat energy and boost their immune system for greencough

Appearance: Oval, jagged light green leaves that grow in clusters

Feverfew

Uses: Headaches, arthritis, joint pain, eye infections, and inflammation

Appearance: Tightly clustered stems, bright green leaves that look like oak leaves but more serrated, and flowers that look like daises

Eyebright

Uses: Helps treat eye infections and cataracts

Appearance: Tall light brown stems with wide, spiky leaves at the bottom and pinkish white flowers

Fennel

Uses: Oral health, inflammation, eye infections, stomach aches, and bacterial infections

Appearance: Tall green stems attached to a greenish white bulb. Has thin, stem-like leaves and yellow flowers

Witch Hazel

Uses: Witch Hazel flowers are used to cover wounds to keep dirt out of it, and helps dull the pain slightly

Appearance: A short tree with dark brown bark and yellow strap-like flower petals

Valerian

Uses: Valerian is used to help boost a cat’s immune system and give them energy. Valerian root also helps treat epilepsy

Appearance: Tall stems with fern-like leaves, and clustered, tiny pink flowers that grow at the very top in a cluster

Peppermint

Uses: Peppermint is used to repel fleas and ticks and soothe irritated skin

Appearance: Green, textured leaves that grow in layers

Echinacea

Uses: Echinacea is used as a rarer but much more potent version of Valerian, and is a very effective cure for respiratory infections and kittencough

Appearance: Pink, long flower petals with a huge, green and yellow pistil and a tall stem

Mullein

Uses: Mullein is used to treat the nasty yellowcough. It’s especially important because it prevents the severe lung damage that yellowcough leaves

Appearance: Very tall stalks with reedy yellow flower blooms and large, fuzzy pale green leaves

Red Clover

Uses: Can be crushed up and mixed with a bit of water to heal cracked paw pads, burns, and sores. Can also be mixed with Valerian to treat asthma or Wintercough

Appearance: Tall, thin stems with oval shaped leaves that grow close together, on top is a bulbous purple flower

Licorice Root

Uses: Licorice Root is used for colds, allergies, and stomach aches

Appearance: Wide, circular leaves that grow in a bush, with dark reddish-brown roots

Cat’s Claw

Uses: Cat’s Claw is used to boost a cat’s immune system and is especially kit friendly

Appearance:  Five bright yellow petals that widen at the ends attached to vines

Calendula

Uses: Calendula is helpful to prevent inflammation in wounds and sores, and is a component of a mixture used to treat wounds

Appearance: Long, oval leaves with bright orange flowers with clustered petals

Goldenseal

Uses: Goldenseal is used to help keep down infection in wounds, and is a component of a mixture used to treat wounds. It

Appearance: Three-pointed leaves with small, white flowers on top

Willow Bark

Uses: Helps with joint pain, arthritis, and chronic pain. The sticks can also be chewed on to keep teeth clean

Appearance: Jagged light grayish brown with deep grooves

Marshmallow

Uses: Helps clear up mucus in chest for those with respiratory issues and clears up urinary blockage. Also helps greatly with gastrointestinal issues

Appearance: Tall stemmed bushes with jagged, three pointed leaves and five-petaled white flowers with a pinkish purple center

Hawthorne Berries

Uses: Helps with heart issues

Appearance: Shortish tree with oak-leaf shaped leaves, small white flowers, and small red berries

Honey

Uses: Anti-bacterial and soothing sore throats. Can also be mixed with herbs to make kits eat them

Appearance: Gooey, thick golden-yellow liquid

Lavender

Uses: Helps soothe anxiety and shock and is used as a funeral herb

Appearance: Low to the ground bush with sage-green stems and leaves with tall, dark purple blooms

Rosemary

Uses: Funeral herb

Appearance: Tall pale green stems with narrow oval leaves and small blue flowers at the top

[greenwitchcrafts]

October 2023 witch guide

Full moon: October 28th

New moon: October 14th

Sabbats: Samhain

October Hunter's Moon

Known as: Blood moon, drying rice moon, falling leaf moon, freezing moon, migrating moon, moon of the changing seasons, shedding moon, ten colds moon, winterfelleth & windermanoth

Element: Air

Zodiac: Libra & Scorpio

Nature spirits: Frost faeries & Plant faeries

Deities: Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi & Mercury

Animals: Elephant, jackal, ram, scorpion & stag

Birds: Crow, heron & robin

Trees: Acacia, apple, cypress & yew

Herbs/Plants: Angelica, apple blossom, burdock, catnip, pennyroyal, sweet Annie, thyme & Uva ursi

Flowers: Calendula, cosmos & marigold

Scents: Apple blossom, cherry & strawberry

Stones: Amethyst, beryl, obsidian, opal, tourmaline & turquoise

Colors: Black, dark blue, Dark greens & purples

Energy: Artistic works, balance, creativity, harmony, inner cleansing, justice, karma, legal matters, mental stimulation, partnerships, reincarnation & uncovering mysteries or secrets

It is believed that this name originates from the fact that it was a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming cold winter by going hunting. This is because animals were beginning to fatten up in preparation for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer and other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes and wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

The earliest use of the term “Hunter’s Moon,” cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, is from 1710. Some sources suggest that other names for the Hunter’s Moon are the Sanguine or Blood Moon, either associated with the blood from hunting or the color of the changing autumn leaves. 

Samhain

Also known as: All Hallow's Eve,  Ancestor Night, Feast of Apples, Feast of Sam-fuim, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, Geimhreadh, Hallowmass, Martinmass, Old Hallowmas, Pagan New Year, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios, Shadowfest & Third Harvest

Season: Fall

Symbols: Apples, bats, besom(brooms), black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, scarecrows & witches

Colors: Black, gold, orange, silver & white

Oils/incense: Basil, cloves, copal, frankincense, gum mastic, heather, heliotrope, mint, myrrh & nutmeg

Animals: Bat, boar, cat cattle & dogs

Stones: Amber, anatase, black calcite, black obsidian, black tourmaline, brass, carnelian, clear quartz diamond, garnet, gold, granite, hematite, iron, jet, marble, pearl, pyrite, ruby, sandstone, sardonyx, smokey quartz, steel & tektite

Foods: Apples, ale, beef, cider, corm, fruits, garlic, gourds, grains, hazelnuts, herbal teas, mushroom, nettle, nuts, pears, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin pie, sunflower seeds, thistle, turnips & wine (mulled)

Herbs/plants: Acorn, Allspice, catnip, corn, dittany of Crete, hazel, mandrake, mugwort, mullien, oak leaves, pine, rosemary, sage, straw, tarragon, thistle, wormwood & yellow cedar

Flowers: Calendula, chrysanthemum, deadly nightshade, rue & fumitory

Goddesses: Al-lat, Baba Yaga, Badb, Banba, Bast, Bebhionn, Bronach, Brunhilde, Cailleach, Carlin, Cassandra, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Crobh Dearg, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Erishkigal, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Hecate, Hel, Ishtar, Kali, Macha Mania, Morrigan, Nemesis, Nephthys, Nicneven & Rhiannon

Gods: Arawan, Baron Samede, Belenus, Coyote, Cronus, Dagda, Dis, Hades, Loki, Nefertum, Odin, Osiris, Pluto, Woden & Xocatl

Issues Intentions & Powers: Crossroads, darkness, death, divination, honoring ancestors, introspection, the otherworld/underworld, release, visions & wisdom (of the crone)

Spellwork: Divination, fire magick, night magick, shape-shifting, spirit calling & water magick

Related festivals:

• Day of the Dead- (Spanish: Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed & is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage. Although related to the simultaneous Christian remembrances for Hallowtide, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration rather than mourning. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and to remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

• All Saints Day- is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honor of all the saints & martyrs of the Church, whether they are known or unknown

Activities:

• Dedicate an altar to loved ones who have passed

• Boil a simmer pot to cleanse your space

• Have a silent dinner

• Light a candle for your loved ones & yourself

• Decorate your house and/or altar

• Release negative energy & cleanse your with a ritual bath

• Pull tarot cards to see what may be in store for you ahead

• Cleanse, clean & de-clutter your space

• Leave offerings to the Fae

• Journal & reflect on your accomplishments, challenges & everything you did this year

•Go on a nature walk

• Learn a new form of divination

• Have a bonfire with your friends and/or family

• Carve pumpkins

• Express yourself creatively through art, music, ect

• Visit a cemetery & help clean off areas that need it or to visit a family member/ ancestor & leave an offering

• Hold a seance

• Bake spooky treats & bread as offerings

• Refresh your protection magicks, sigils & rituals

Samhain is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.

This fire festival is celebrated on October 31st & is considered the Pagan New Year. It is the first Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year, a cross-quarter festival & the third (final) harvest festival of the mundane year. This is the time when the veil between the worlds of the living & those who have passed is the thinnest, which allows greater communication between the two

Some believe this is the time of the Goddess's mourning of the death of the God until his rebirth at Yule. The Goddess's sadness can be seen in the shortening, darkening days & the arrival of cold weather

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs